Illicit Affairs
by Sailor Elf
Summary: With his new abilities and secrets to contend with, Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter now has a choice to make: to make use of what he knows to help save Earth from an even more dangerous threat or to further contend with his personal demons. (Rating may change)
1. A Beginning

Disclaimer - None of the Big Guy characters are mine. Czarina, the Oleaftars and the Liaperians are mine.

Summary - With his new abilities and secrets to contend with, Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter now has a choice to make: to make use of what he knows to help save Earth from an even more dangerous threat or to delve deeper into his own personal hell.

00000

Illicit Affairs

Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter awoke with a jolt of pain ripping through his abdomen. He clenched his teeth as he crawled out of his bed, wrapping his arms around his waist as he tried to make it to the washroom. Barely standing on his legs, he glanced at himself in the mirror and tried to hold back the bile at the back of his throat.

 _'Not again!'_ his mind screamed at him.

Dwayne still didn't know how he did it, but he managed not verbalize that scream that was again growing within him, even though his voice desperately wanted to do so. He crawled over to the door and slowly made his way into the empty hallway. Inwardly, he was happy that it was the middle of the night and everyone was asleep for he really did not want to explain what was happening to him.

 _'I haven't wanted to confront anyone about this for the past few months. It's a miracle no one's discovered my little secret yet,'_ he thought.

He broke through the door to be greeted by the bitter wind on the deck of the _Dark Horse_. He glanced up at the full moon sitting within the sky's confines and took a deep breath. The pain ripped through him yet again, his entire body shaking from the transformation before he jumped over the side.

00000

A loud knock came to the door as the light filtered through the porthole. Dwayne squint his eyes as a soft groan escaped his lips. His head was pounding with a massive headache as he heard voices filtering in through the door.

"Dwayne, are you alright?"

His foggy mind recognized the voice as Garth's and he could hear the soft voices of the others behind him. Dwayne pulled himself up to a sitting position as the knocking became more intense.

"Dwayne, are you in there? Dwayne! Can you hear me?" Garth called in to him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm here Garth! Just give me a minute!" the lieutenant finally called back out.

"Okay. We were getting worried there. Hurry up for we're leaving in a few for the mainland."

"Sure, no problem," Dwayne replied.

As he listened to the footsteps quietly leave the hallway, butterflies began to swirl around in his stomach as he thought about the reasoning behind their departure off the _Dark Horse_. It was to discuss with Doctor Slate and Rusty about the appearance of a new pterodactyl in the area. Since no one knew that it was really him, he frequently played the charade of knowing nothing despite his recent lengthy stay with the two cats. Climbing to his feet, he glanced over to the mirror and stared at his reflection. Part of him didn't even see the man that was before the incident with the Liaperians months before. The experience had certainly left him changed in more ways than one. With inheriting the ability to transform into a pterodactyl from the now deceased Czarina Mills, he found his life a drastically more complicated than before; and that was complicated enough as it was already.

"Well, time to hear what they have to say about me. I guess I'll have to hear it sooner or later. I only hope they don't ask me too many hard questions. The conversation will have to come to me eventually since they'll no doubt ask about the cats. I am still not looking forward to this," he muttered before he pulled on his clothes.

00000

Dwayne uncomfortably sat in his seat as he quietly listened to the other debate back and forth. It felt like it was going on forever and all he wanted to do right then was slink off by himself: he was still uncomfortable with his transformations even though he was gaining more control over them as time had went on. In the back of his mind, he listened to what the others were saying.

"It would be impossible for a pterodactyl to survive this long before someone noticing it! Besides, wouldn't it have surfaced long before the Oleaftars even arrived in their bid to dominate this planet?" posed Garth.

"Not necessarily. Like Czarina, it could have possibly been only reawakened due to some recent occurrence. It's hard to say where this one even came from, whether it was another alien experiment like Czarina or if it was indeed a real life dinosaur. Not without getting closer at least," Slate offered.

"And how do you propose that now Doctor? Every time there's a sighting, no one's close enough to get a good look at it and by the time we get word of it, it's long gone before we can get the Big Guy out to investigate. At this rate, it'll be a snowstorm in hell before we can get close enough to see it," Mack protested.

Slate gave a deep sigh as she flicked through the pages of notes she had gathered ever since the first reported sighting. All were hoping to find some answers to the recent mystery of the apparent dinosaur still roaming the earth. Carefully, Slate turned to her attention to the lieutenant, realizing at that moment that he was oddly silent the entire time. She had known him to speak up a few times at meetings, whether it was to give some input or to clarify something. An uneasy feeling landed in her gut, uncertain whether she should be worried or not.

"Lieutenant Hunter?" she cautiously asked.

Instantly, his attention was on her with his head up and back straightened. It almost surprised her how alert he became so quickly.

"Lieutenant, I was wondering if either Justin or Jennifer mentioned anything while you were under their care about this creature?" she posed.

He appeared to think about it for a moment before he finally shook his head. Dwayne almost felt like he was perspiring under the scrutiny of everyone else present before he finally found the courage to speak.

"No, I'm afraid not. Considering I was either unconscious or sleeping for a good portion of my time there and they were more worried about making certain I survived, the subject never came up. Sorry, but I can't tell you anything," he replied.

"We could always inquire about it the next time they come to see you Lieutenant. I don't suppose you have any idea when they're coming?" Thorton said.

Dwayne shook his head, not realizing that he was holding his hat in a death grip. He gulped as he inwardly terrified that _someone_ was going to see through his bold-faced lie. His stare turned away from the general and around to everyone else at the table before landing on Doctor Slate who was sitting directly to him. Jo leaned in forward, an elbow on the table and placed her curled fingers up to her mouth.

"Anyone think we could try and lure this thing out? Only problem is finding out what we could use as bait, so to speak," she posed.

"Nice idea but I'm afraid I don't think it would work. Thing's already eluded everyone so far for months now, I doubt it would be taken in so easily," Garth argued.

Dwayne's stomach churned as he continued to listen to everyone's theories about how to catch the new creature. He soon felt something tingle at the back of his neck. Without being too obvious, he glanced around the room at everyone before he finally rested his eyes on Czarina standing behind Doctor Slate, unseen by everyone except him. A sad smile crept onto her face, as if wanting to tell them something but unable to do so.

 _'If they only knew,'_ he thought.

00000

High above the Earth, a grand spaceship hovered in place over the United States of America. Two creatures were on board, staring down at the green and blue globe beneath them. One stood staring through the glass window, his arms crossed and pondering what to do next. The other was pacing the floor behind him, all the while ranting and raving various obscenities. Tane quietly ignored him all the while before his comrade finally stood still behind him.

"Those cats will pay for this! We had spent weeks planning for that extraction and they destroyed them! We have to get whomever we can back here, make them talk! We have to get them all here to talk!" Shzar roared.

"It won't be that easy. Now that they know we're here, the two Oleaftars who keep an eye on this planet will be keeping a closer eye out for us. The moment they know we're back, they will no doubt send for reinforcements," Tane replied. "We have to tread carefully now."

Shzar snorted before he resumed his pacing. Tane continued to watch the planet's orbit before a soft beeping came from the console a few feet from him. He silently strode over to the machine and pressed a few buttons. Shzar ceased his pacing once again and joined his fellow Liaperian next to the console as his fingers ran across the buttons.

"What is it? Don't tell me they've spotted us already?" Shzar wondered.

"We have a ship approaching this location. It is Oleaftar in origin and I am detecting several life signs on board but their weapon system is currently not active. I'm not going to worry about an attack just yet," Tane replied. "Let's see who it is first."

A small red light began to pulsate, indicating that they were being hailed. Tane gently pressed a nearby button, uncertain who was going to appear on the other end. He was mildly surprised to Hapar stare back at him, his crew milling about around him.

"Hapar, this _is_ a surprise. What could you possibly want with us?" Tane inquired.

"Believe it or not, I'm not here to fight. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I've heard about your recent - excursion - with these humans. I was hoping we could talk about it," Hapar explained.

Shzar snorted at the request, to which Tane gently lifted a hand towards him, indicating that he should be quiet. Tane scrutinized the alien's face, narrowing his eyes slightly, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Why should we believe you? We have been at war for centuries. Your crew and mine have even engaged in battle several times over the years. Why should we start talking now, especially about a defeat which you could easily gloat about in our faces?" Tane posed him.

"You misunderstand what I say Tane. You should remember well enough that we also have a terrible defeat hanging over our heads by these people," Hapar started. "I do wish to talk but it was to hopefully call a truce long enough to defeat these humans once and for all."

Shzar appeared shocked as he glanced over to Tane, whose eyes widened in great surprise as he returned his comrade's stare. After a few seconds, the two returned their attention back to the humanoid beetle appearing before them.

"We're listening."

TBC...


	2. Observations

As everyone stood up to leave, Doctor Slate gave a worried glance over towards the lieutenant. His silence during the meeting was unnatural and that troubled her. Quietly, she stepped over to his side and gently placed a hand on his arm. He almost jerked his arm back as his attention was now completely on her.

"I'm sorry Doc, I've been a bit jumpy lately. What would you like?" he weakly smiled.

"I just want to ask if everything's alright. You don't seem yourself today," she replied.

Dwayne's shoulders tensed up slightly at the inquiry. Inwardly, he wondered what was going through her mind, if she suspected anything. Gulping, he swallowed his fears for the moment before answering.

"Believe me, everything's fine. I honestly don't know what's going on anymore and I wish we could catch up with this creature. If it is another person who was abducted by Hapar and his group, we should try and help them," he lied.

"I agree with you but Mack was right. No sooner is there a sighting than it disappears. It's almost as if it knows someone's coming to look for it and it doesn't want to be found," she replied.

 _'If you only knew,'_ he thought. "I guess we'll just have to wait until it either decides that it wants help or it makes a mistake since it appears that we won't be able to catch up with it any other way."

He gave her a small smile as she gave a quick nod of her head. Dwayne heart pounded within his chest as he watched the doctor say her good-byes, turn and walk away, never noticing the lithe figure step up to his side. She crossed her arms as she stole quick glances between the two with a mischievous smile sitting upon her face.

"Still want to have more with Doctor Slate but won't let yourself, will you?" she finally asked him.

Dwayne jumped slightly at the question before turning his head enough to watch Czarina Mills step into the direction that Slate had recently disappeared into. She turned back to him, her arms crossed and head slightly cocked to one side. Closing the gap between them, Dwayne quickly glimpsed to see if anyone was around watching him. Once he saw no one paying any attention to them, he took a deep breath.

"We'll talk about this later on...after I've left the _Dark Horse_. _Is that understood_?" he sternly whispered to her.

"Don't worry, it's perfectly clear. I was only trying to put it out there and I am always content to wait until later on for an answer. You do remember that I have all the time in the world now right? I have simply been exceptionally curious after all this time since it appears that any feelings you have towards our dear doctor you've managed to keep even from me. Don't forget that I can be familiar with all your thoughts, feelings, dreams whether you are conscious of them or not and how far I decide to pry," she reminded him.

Dwayne turned his attention from Czarina to the hallway where Slate had left. He gulped for he wasn't even aware of what he had been doing all this time. It had been months since this unusual arrangement had been thrust upon him and as far as he was concerned, it only solidified his feelings towards the doctor - or rather, that he shouldn't try and get too close, despite his obvious yearnings to be with her. Part of him was thinking the best for Doctor Slater but a deeper part of him wanted to just take her into his arms and passionately kiss her. He was inwardly thankful that Czarina didn't know that - yet.

"I won't pry about it yet but I take it you're still planning to head out tonight?" she posed.

"Don't worry I'm still planning on it. I'm hoping to discuss a few things with you when we do. There's a few things I've been meaning to ask you," he muttered.

He watched as the others slowly moved about him, getting ready for the trip back to the _Dark Horse._ Somehow, some part of him was dreading this trip out tonight. Maybe it was the talk he was expecting with Czarina or maybe it was the training he didn't feel like doing tonight. Either way, he wasn't certain.

"Let's just head back. You'll get your time with me later," he muttered.

00000

As soon as his feet hit the deck of the Dark Horse, Dwayne felt his feet head towards the hangar where the Big Guy lay dormant until he was needed. He stared up at the gigantic piece of bolted metal, uncertain on what he should be feeling. Part of him wondered what the others would think if they ever found out about his newest little secret. Justin and Jennifer had always told him that it was up to him to who he told, unless it was an absolute emergency and he had no choice but to reveal it. He knew that if he ever did need help outside an unforeseen situation, all he had to do was get into contact with them.

 _'Will it ever be normal for me again? That is if you consider masquerading as a machine being 'normal',_ ' he thought.

Garth and Mack stepped up to either side of him. The older man whistled as he stared at the machine while the younger one crossed his arms and gave a small smirk.

"You know Dwayne, it's not like you haven't seen it before," Garth told him.

"I know. It's just that ever since this whole thing with Czarina started, I haven't entirely looked at him the same way. I mean, she found out a long time ago about me and never said a word to anyone. Can you imagine the implications if she did happen to mention anything?" he admitted.

"True, people would be upset, especially since the military would try and cover it up. If the people found out for certain that Big Guy was _not_ a robot, everyone would be wondering how the heck she knew in the first place. It wouldn't have been good for her since she'd have to explain herself. Too bad you didn't ask her before she died," Mack explained.

Dwayne gave a slight nod, as he glanced at his friend and colleague. Inwardly, he made a note to ask Czarina later on though he figured she might have heard part of the conversation. After a few more moments, he excused himself and made his way to his quarters. Jo stepped up to Garth and Mack and the three exchanged momentary glances.

"He certainly has changed since the incident with the Liaperians. He doesn't seem like the same man anymore," Garth mused. "Whatever happened certainly scared the hell out of him."

"I agree. It's almost as if - he's hiding something. If something happened on board that ship or during his stay with the cats, why wouldn't he tell us? I mean, we've worked together for years. You would think he might have mentioned something about it by now," Jo pondered.

"You would think, yes but just remember that these are different times than when any of us started working here. We've had encounters with aliens that are more secretive than what we are and more on their own agenda than what we had ever realized. I mean, take Czarina for example. She hid under our noses for _years_ and not even _you_ knew about it," Garth reminded her.

"Yeah, I suppose so though I am worried about him. He's changed ever since he got back and I believe part of him doesn't think we've noticed. We're probably the only people he can truly confide in and I agree. It scared him enough that he won't talk about it," Jo wondered.

"Whatever it is, we'll know eventually. Just you wait and see," Mack piped up, pointing a finger at each of them.

Garth nodded in agreement as they watched the lieutenant silently step out of the hanger, presumably to his quarters. He glanced up at the nearby porthole, watching the darkness overtake the skies. He sighed as he suggested that they do one last checkup before heading back to their quarters.

00000

Dwayne stepped into his living quarters, glancing around the room to make certain that it was indeed clear. He sighed, wondering if he should truly be heading out for the evening for - something - was a nagging sensation at the back of his mind. What that meant, he wasn't too certain yet. All he could do now was wait until almost everyone was in bed.

 _"You know that if you're having doubts about heading out tonight, we don't have to leave,"_ Czarina whispered to the back of his mind.

 _"No, I want to go. I feel like I should get out. Brush up on a couple of things though we probably should be careful. I think they almost noticed that I wasn't here the last time,"_ Dwayne replied. _"Besides we have to talk. I have a few issues I have to deal with."_

 _"We shall go but don't worry about them though. They won't catch us for a reason and you know why. We have been practising on that."_

 _"I know, I know. I guess I'm just afraid they're going to see past it and find out about this newest little secret. Now let's get going."_

With not another word, Dwayne grabbed the backpack from on top the bed and hurried out the door. Carefully, he snuck through the empty hallways. Inwardly, he was glad he rarely came across anyone, in part because his hearing was now slightly enhanced. He found his senses were a bit more sharpened than what they were before the incident on board the Liaperian ship. Carefully, he made his way through the bowels of the ship and slipped onto the darkened deck of the _Dark Horse_. He knew that seeing someone on deck this late at night was uncommon but if they were, they would not see him in the darkness covering him despite the few lights that remained on. Carefully, he stripped and placed his clothes into the backpack, placing it upon his back. Without making a noise, he jumped off the side of the massive carrier. Wings that weren't there a few seconds earlier carried him now carried him directly above the water's surface which now obscured him from anyone's view. His dark blue appearance had helped him more than once from being discovered on his way out onto the water.

"Now to get to the mainland," he muttered.

00000

Once he hit the coast of New Tronic City, he gazed over the city lights shining below him. Inwardly, he knew he should have headed towards his to where his other 'home' was located in the form of Jennifer and Justin's lab but tonight felt different. Carefully watching the crowds below, he manoeuvred his way through the skyscrapers until one caught his attention. It was a medium sized tower not far from the Quark Tower yet hidden enough that he was unseen from the people below.

 _"You're taking a big risk you know. Someone could still potentially see you and you'd be in for quite the explanation if you got caught considering what you said before we left."_

"I know, I know it's just that for some reason, I feel like I had to come here tonight. Besides, it's only going to be for a few minutes and then we'll head to the lab," he muttered.

A moment's hesitation came on the dead woman's part. Dwayne pretended not to notice as he carefully watched the windows in the tower. His stare soon came to Doctor Erica Slate's office and his heart rose when he saw there was light emitting from within.

"Is this about the doctor? Even if I could read your mind about it, it's still a bit obvious you know." she told him.

Dwayne jerked his head up in attention once she started talking. Glancing to his right side, the ghostly figure of Tera appeared beside him. She was leaning against the wall of the building, arms crossed and carefully watching his every move. It took him a few seconds to realize what she said.

"What do you mean by 'if you could my mind'? We already share enough feelings and memories as it is," he finally asked.

"I mean that somehow, whether you were conscious of it or not, most of your thoughts and feelings concerning Doctor Slate have been locked away in a remote corner of your mind. I can't access them even if I wanted to," she explained. "Part of me did want to ask you about it since I could see it more than what I could sense."

With a sharp intake of breath, Dwayne Hunter felt his cheeks redden and for a moment, thought it would be seen by someone down below. It took him a moment to regain his composure and create a good enough response for the inquiry.

"It's true, I can't help but think about Slate but the truth is I can't be with her. Not while I'm like this. It would put her in even more danger than what she already is by knowing my other secret in the form of Big Guy," he sighed. "I can't tell you how I managed to keep those feeling locked away from you."

"Out of the few cases that I'm aware of, I've heard of some interesting stories and I shouldn't be surprised that you managed to do this unconsciously. You've had feelings for her since the day you met and you've never wanted everyone to know," Tera smiled at him.

Dwayne remained silent as he thought about the situation. Over the months since their fusion, he found himself sharing memories with Czarina, even experiencing her abduction and her internal downfall from society. Even though no one could see her struggle, she felt tainted and it tore at her insides for years on end until she finally came across the Big Guy. Through her memories he could feel the elation she felt once she realized her struggle could potentially end. He broke out of his reverie when he suddenly came across a mind block of his own in her mind, one that he had somehow not come across before.

"Tera..." he started.

Before he could continue, an audible blast went off in the distance. Twirling around to face the source of the noise he found himself starting to hyperventilate as he stared off at the massive structures that now loomed off in the distance. Part of him was terrified once he saw what they looked like.

"Tera, is that what I think it is?" he stammered.

By then, she was also looking in the direction of the ruckus and her jaw lay on the ground. She brushed enough off enough of the confusion to finally answer his question.

"Yes, it is. It's the Oleaftars _and_ the Liaperians. They've somehow joined forces and it looks like they're heading towards the city," she stated.

TBC...


	3. Attack!

"The Oleaftars and the Liaperians have teamed up to attack Earth? That doesn't make sense at all. I thought they hated each other and competed for planets and technology," Dwayne demanded.

"They do on both accounts. The only explanation I can think of at this very moment is their common defeat by us. There aren't many places that have survived an assault by both of them. Since Earth was considered especially priceless by both worlds, it's no wonder they're upset. I'm almost certain that after they ensure our defeat, they'll be back to square one about who will take control over the planet," Tera explained.

"You also know they'll be calling the Big Guy into action, right? I won't have time to get back to the _Dark Horse_ before they notice I'm not there," Dwayne reminded her.

"I know. Just leave that to me, remember? This is precisely why we practised all these months. Don't you worry," she smiled.

Butterflies were now settling in Dwayne's stomach for his life just turned into what he was dreading the most for the last six months.

"What about Doctor Slate? Hapar might have remembered that she was a part of the prophecy that helped free you. He might even be coming after her as we speak," he wondered.

"We'll be finding out soon enough, won't we? I'll help keep an eye on her once I come back with Bug Guy, alright? Just please don't do anything stupid," Tera replied.

Dwayne watched as Tera held up her arms and closed her eyes. Within a few seconds, she slowly disappeared into thin air. A faint tingling emerged at the back of his neck as Tera began to draw upon his memories of the Big Guy's mechanics and how they worked. It was something they had practised many times in the months since he returned back to the _Dark Horse_ after his abduction and recovery.

Dwayne carefully studied the skyline as the terror continued to bombard the city . He gulped as stole a quick glance between the ensuing chaos and the building situated behind him. His heart sunk as he noticed a familiar figure stride over to the window in order to watch the commotion that was stirring up outside. Part of him wanted to dive right into the building, scoop her up and take her off into the mountains until the attacks were over.

"Please get back Slate, get out of that building and somewhere safe," he frantically said, fully knowing that she couldn't hear him. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were coming after you."

Dwayne's attention returned back to the oncoming onslaught and gulped, fully knowing that both the Big Guy and Rusty would soon be arriving. Though only he would know that the 'pilot' of the Big Guy would not technically be him and he hoped that the others would not notice.

'Well, I guess I avoided everyone for this long, I guess it's about time they see me for what I truly am," he muttered.

00000

"Dwayne, come on! We've got work to do! The reports are slowly coming in! The city's under attack and they're old friends of ours!" Garth yelled out.

"I'm coming!" the reply filtered through the room.

The figure of the lieutenant quickly came into the hanger, getting the last few touches ready as he ran up to the hatch residing in the back of the giant piece of metal. The hatch closed behind him and as the powerful piece of machinery came to life, Garth's face appeared on one of the screens above him.

"What have we got?" 'Hunter' asked.

 _"Looks like the Hapar's crew and the Liaperians teamed up for they're both attacking the city. It's hard if they're planning to go all out or it's just their way of getting our attention. Either way, make sure you watch your back. None of us wants a repeat from the last time you encountered the Liaperians. Who knows? Maybe our new 'friend' will show up and help,"_ Garth told him. _"Now let's go kick some alien butt."_

The mechanic's face suddenly disappeared, leaving the lieutenant alone with himself. A smile crossed his face as he turned on the last of the switches. A glimmer passed through the eyes of Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter. He began his ascent and slowly started his journey through the skies over the open ocean towards land.

"If Garth had any suspicions that it wasn't you just now, he didn't show it," Czarina said.

 _"Looks like you were right. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do okay? Then they'll know for certain that something's up,"_ Dwayne replied. _"Like when Slate took over for me that one time. Of course, the Pit Crew and Thornton knew about that one but the public certainly noticed it, even though they didn't know exactly why."_

"Well, it's good then that I do know how you work. Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing this," she replied. "The real question I've got for you is: are you going to be alright with this? The last time you were around a Liaperian, you almost died and I can tell you're still suffering the after-effects from it, even though you haven't said it explicitly."

She immediately noticed the hesitation and she winced a little for she knew she hit a spot that was still quite tender. She quickly shut her mouth as she led the Big Guy towards where he needed to be. Soon enough, Czarina could see Rusty preparing himself for the inevitable battle to come. She glanced off into the direction where she knew the lieutenant to be and smiled for her enhanced sight could just make him out near the tower.

"We may end up needing your help. Are you going to be okay with that?" she asked.

 _"Yeah, I will. But if they come any closer to the tower though, I'm getting Slate out of here and I don't care who likes it,"_ he replied.

"Of course, I understand. Let's get this over with then," Czarina replied.

She turned her attention back to the alien visitors, who had stopped with their attack once they saw who arrived on the scene. A hatch opened on the underside of the Oleaftar ship and Hapar carefully exited the craft. He hovered before the two robots, a smirk written all over his face.

"It's good to be back, knowing that this will finally be your downfall. We will have this planet and both of you will be destroyed in the process," the alien warned them.

"We defeated you once, we can do it again!" Rusty retorted.

"Believe me when I say I haven't forgotten the circumstances behind your victory the first time. It will not happen again and with the information that we have exchanged with our new allies, I figure things have gotten very interesting around here," Hapar replied.

Czarina gritted her teeth. An uncertain fear in the back of her mind, Hapar now confirmed that he had a suspicion to what occurred in the ship and most likely what happened between her and the lieutenant.

"This talking bores me. Everyone, destroy them!" cried Hapar.

With that command, Oleaftars of many shapes and sizes spilled out of the ship and headed directly for the two robots. Hapar watched as the two robots were swarmed. Glancing back, he noticed that Tane and Shzar were moving out into the fray. Hapar smiled as down below, the people began to scream and yell as they ran away from the scene.

"Good, this is working perfectly so far. Now to flush out that monster that we once called our warrior along with the others involved in that prophecy so the second one will never come true. With that, she will never be able to become human again," he muttered to himself. "

Slowly, he began his way to the outskirts of the city and hoped that he could potentially find a lead to the woman from the night in question. He realized that she could be anywhere in the city but something told him under the right circumstances someone could lead him right to her.

00000

Dwayne carefully watched the battle from afar though occasionally, he heard a few words trickle into his brain through his connection with Czarina. He gulped for he was uncertain on how he should proceed. Part of him wanted to stay right where he was situated though he desperately wanted to take Doctor Slate away from the tower and to safety a long way away. Yet another part of him wanted to enter the fray that was taking place not far away.

 _'Get a grip Hunter. These guys are only the aliens that completely changed your life forever. Nothing major,'_ he thought.

Glimpsing back down to the Qwark tower, he gasped when he noticed that Slate was no longer in by the window in her office. Frantically looking around, he tried to find some indication of where she went until he saw her running out of the building. His dark-hued skin paled a few shades once he realized that she was heading directly towards the fight and Hapar was heading directly towards them.

"No!" he cried out. "I can't let this happen!"

Realizing he had to make a decision quickly, his heart pounded within the confines of his chest. He had spent so much time and effort to stay within the shadows, out of sight but his feelings for the doctor were soon overwhelming his conscious mind. So much so, he decided to jump.

TBC...


	4. Enter: Dact

Slate rushed towards the scene, a bit uncertain on what she could do to help but still felt that she should try and do something. From a distance, she could see the outlines of several different bestial forms, indicating that the Oleaftars were indeed back on the planet, mostly likely seeking revenge from their defeat months earlier and loss of their soldier. The one thing that was concerning her was the form of the Liaperians that she could make out in the night sky.

"Why are the Liaperians here fighting alongside the Oleaftars? By what I understood from the cats and Tera, I thought they were mortal enemies in their region of space. I only hope Lieutenant Hunter can safely defeat them without any lasting fear from what happened," she prayed.

She clearly remembered the capture of the lieutenant the year before and his close call with death, which disturbed her more than what she cared to admit to anyone but she was glad the Pit Crew and the general were available if she had ever needed to talk to someone about it. One downside was that she couldn't tell Rusty the entire story of what happened even though he had asked on a few occasions and she had to falsify some of the details.

"I wish you good luck Lieutenant," she whispered.

Slate ran through the crowds of people trying to get away from the scene. She didn't know what on Earth she would do once she got closer since there was no possible way she could help from being so far from the airborne battle. As she watched the scene before her, she never noticed a shadow descending behind her. It was only when the illumination from the streetlamps disappeared that something had finally caught Slate's attention. Gingerly, she turned around to see what exactly was behind and she had to cover her mouth as a gasp escaped her lips.

"What are you doing here?" the creature growled at her.

Her mouth sputtered as it tried to determine what it trying to say. Her brain started to go into overdrive as it tried to comprehend what she was seeing. Unconsciously, the doctor began to step away from the creature before gaping at his sheer size. She had stood next to Tera many times before and it appeared that this creature - whoever or whatever it was - had to be bigger than her. Except for the dark blue colouring and the apparent fact that it was male, the creature looked almost identical to the individual known as Tera.

"I ask again: what are you doing here? It is not safe here for anyone to be here."

"I-I suppose I was hoping to help. W-what are you?" her mouth managed to form.

"Who I am is of no importance to you. This is not your fight. Now get to safety before something happens to you," he growled at her.

The doctor cocked her head to one side, wondering what was going through the creature's head. Inwardly, Dwayne was terrified that she was going to notice something that gave him away as not being all that he seemed. He watched her every move as she began to gingerly step back towards the tower, never noticing that someone else was arriving on the scene.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?"

Dwayne's attention twirled back around to find Hapar hovering in the sky just above them. Dwayne swallowed hard as he realized the extent of revealing himself in the middle of battle. He only wondered how much harm was going to happen to the doctor now because of him.

"I do believe this is my lucky day. I have gained a temporary ally and then I am led directly to one of the people I was searching for. Miss, your friend here has unintentionally led me right to you. You were part of my prophecy and that means I will have to deal with you," Hapar told them before turning his attention to the dinosaur. "Now as for you..."

A guttural rumble escaped Dwayne's lips as he stepped in between the doctor and the alien, who merely laughed at his presence. Before Dwayne realized what he was doing, Hapar landed before him and raised a weapon in his direction.

"Do you honestly think you can stop me, monster?" Hapar told him. "Now let me through!"

"You have to get through me first," Dwayne retorted.

The Oleaftar's gaze travelled between the creature standing before him to the doctor before returning back to the dinosaur lookalike. He gave an odd smile, as if wondering where he should place the being before him before opening his mouth to speak.

"What's your name creature?"

The question struck the lieutenant as a bit of a surprise since he knew all too well what Hapar was like. The idea of needing a name seemed irrelevant to Dwayne for the longest time since he planned to never be around places where he could easily be seen and therefore, speaking with no one except Czarina and the cats. His thoughts drifted back to Czarina and her alter-ego of Tera.

Tera.

Pterodactyl.

 _That's it!_ Inwardly, he smiled for he now knew the perfect name to give himself. He returned his full attention to the alien being before him and grinned.

"Dact. My name is Dact," Dwayne replied.

"Well Dact. I have to admit that you are very intriguing to me in more ways than one but you will not prevent me from killing this woman. Then I will find the man who is connected with her and subsequently kill him. Once I do that, then the secondary prophecy will never have the chance to fulfill itself and Tera will be forever stuck with her monstrous form forever and then she will have no choice but to return to my services," Hapar told them.

The news about a second prophecy hit Dact like he was striking a brick wall. Part of him wanted to strangle the ethereal throat of Czarina Mills when he saw her next but he knew that for the moment, Doctor Erika Slate's safety came first. He retained his position between Hapar and the doctor when the alien lunged forward. Dact spread his wings to their fullest span and roared. Slate watched as the two began to dance about in the street.

"You will never take this planet. I won't allow it," Dact snarled.

"Yes, I will. Since my last visit, I have acquired more help and more weapon power. Even you cannot defeat all of us at once and our warrior will be ours once again," Hapar said.

The Oleaftar found that due to the size of the pterodactyl before him, he could not take him down easily nor could get past long enough to snatch the doctor. With Tera, he knew exactly how to control and overpower her. With this new creature, he knew nothing about him except for his protectiveness of this particular woman. Hapar knew that somehow, that information could be put to good use at some point. But for now, he had to somehow change this fight in his favour. He soon jumped back and took a survey of the scene. The doctor was still at the scene, standing several feet away while Dact stood in between them.

 _'I've got to get the doctor out of here somehow,'_ thought Dact.

Glancing between her and Hapar, he hoped to find even a moment to escape the scene. A slight buzz at the back of his brain alerted him to the presence of Czarina.

 _'What's going on down there? Are you alright?'_

 _'I'll be fine. Doctor Slate was trying to see if she could help but then Hapar found her and I'm currently trying to keep him from killing her.'_

There was a pause as Czarina contemplated what Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter was telling her.

 _'Not good. Not good at all. You have to get her and yourself out of there. Hopefully, we can distract Hapar long enough for you to get her to safety. After tonight, she'll need a set of eyes watching her and now that someone's finally seen you, questions will be raised about your origins and you will be asked again if anything was mentioned during your recovery.'_

 _'I've been hiding this from everyone for months now, even after all the questions. I think I can handle a little more scrutiny about my time with the cats. After all, I was questioned at length about my stay with Justin and Jennifer and I told them that I knew nothing. Hell, I didn't even know anything until_ well _into my recovery no thanks to you.'_

 _'Listen bub, if it weren't for me you might have been pterodactyl free but you would've been six feet under right now so be thankful that you're still around to protect our dear doctor. Now get her out of there before I have to come down and get her out myself!'_

Momentarily glancing between the doctor behind him and the alien leader before him, Dact knew he only had a matter of seconds to react before an attack would begin to rain down on him. Capturing a fleeting look to his one side, his eyes found a lamp post. Jumping over to it, he ripped it out of the ground and flung it towards Hapar, who scarcely had time to react to the quick actions and it forced him to the ground. While the alien was momentarily distracted, Dact rushed back to the doctor.

"Get on my back," he growled at her.

"W-what?"

"Get on now before both of us get killed."

Not wanting to argue further, Slate climbed onto the creature's back and he rapidly took to the sky. Slate never expected to gaze upon the city without being inside an airplane or helicopter so she hung onto him for dear life. Various sensations unlike anything she had ever felt were already making her stomach churn and she worried that she would vomit all over her new ally. She closed her eyes in hopes that the spinning would stop but Hapar's voice soon filled her ears.

"How dare you! Neither you nor Tera will have a chance against us this time! With the help from the Liaperians, we _will_ defeat you and this planet _will_ fall to us!"

The sound of a laser gun filled her ears. She found herself gripping tighter onto the strange creature she was sitting upon as the flash of light screamed through the air past her. They continued to soar away from Hapar, who could be heard rambling and what she believed to be cursing loudly in his native language.

"I will find you! Even if I have to search until the end of time, I will find you and force you to serve us until you are long past your death!"

The doctor gulped down the bile forming at the back of her mouth as she was flown away from the scene. Carefully, she turned her attention back to where they were headed and found that the view of the ocean was rapidly getting greater. As the water filled the space underneath them, her eyes widened as she quickly realized where they were now headed.

 _'He's taking me to the_ Dark Horse _. How on Earth does he know about the_ Dark Horse?'

Her mouth grew dry as the carrier slowly came into view. She could see a few people scrambling about the decks, probably in anticipation of the Big Guy's return. Little did she know that her ride was having an internal conversation and conflict of his own.

 _'It's under control here for now though I'll take a hit to cover for you. After they leave, I'll pretend to go scouting and I'll meet you in the forest near the cave. It's a good thing we decided to leave some spare clothes there for you in case we ever did have to do this.'_

 _'I'll meet you there, just let me drop off the doctor at the_ Dark Horse. _She'll be safe here for now at least.'_

 _'Affirmative.'_

00000

General Thornton glanced around at the chaos and confusion that enveloped the deck of the _Dark Horse._ News had only trickled in about the situation on the mainland but what they had heard so far, things were not good at all. Reports of both bestial and slender creatures working in conjunction in order to attack the city were not a good thing in his books. The idea that the Oleaftars might eventually return to the site of their last defeat did not fail to cross his mind and he knew all too well that the Liaperians were capable of anything He also knew that he had to prepare his people and somehow keep both the lieutenant and doctor safe until the situation was over.

"If only we could get the doctor here ASAP then those butterflies would start to disappear," he muttered.

Thornton immediately narrowed his eyes as he felt a wind pick up and he looked up in surprise to find what exactly was causing it. Placing an arm over his head, he had to take a few steps back as the creature landed upon the deck before him.

"What on Earth...?" he started.

He couldn't help but gulp as he stared at the creature hovering above him. He wondered what it was and why it was sitting on his deck until he saw a familiar figure sitting upon its back. The creature lowered himself to the deck where Doctor Slate carefully climbed off and hurried over to the general.

"Doctor, what's this all about?" he demanded.

"The Oleaftars and Liaperians appeared to have teamed up in order to conquer the planet General. This is Dact and he saved me from getting killed at the hands of Hapar. I can try to explain further once the Big Guy has returned. I learned a few things that everyone should know about," she explained.

Thornton nodded his head before turning his attention back to the giant creature standing before him.

"Dact, is it now?"

The creature nodded, inwardly gulping for he was nervous that the general would somehow recognize him as Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter. At that moment, he realized that Czarina had dealt with this for years after high school and no one knew until the last minute that she and her alter ego of Tera were one in the same.

"We would like to get to know you better and in the end, hope you can help us. Those forces you encountered mean to take over this planet and you won't be safe anywhere."

"I know them better than what you realize and for now, I think we should part ways. If you require my services, I will assist as much as I am able but for now, this should be good bye."

The pterodactyl began to flap its wings and it soon disappeared into the night sky. Thornton and Slate watched him leave before they stared at each other. Both were now wondering what the cats were hiding from them now and if Lieutenant Hunter truly knew anything about the creature.

00000

Dact sailed over the trees that lay on the outskirts of New Tronic City. He had flown over this patch of land so often lately that he knew it like the back of his hand. Following a particular line of trees, he soon came across the clearing that he first found when he followed who he first knew as Tera back to her cave. Carefully landing, he slowly moved into the cave so he could allow the now incoming Big Guy to stand next to him. Its hatch sprung open, allowing its invisible passenger to move out of the pilot's seat. Dwayne Hunter walked out of the mouth of the cave, gingerly pulling on his uniform before he finally got a good look at his machine and sighed.

"Did you really have to do that?"

"Of course I did and you know it. I have to admit that I'm a bit surprised that neither the general nor the doctor noticed your injury while you were in their company."

"They were probably too busy trying to figure me out and with the attack, their minds were slightly occupied. It'll be noticed as soon as I get back to the _Dark Horse_ though."

"That is why I took the hit for you. Otherwise, they're going ask questions about how you managed to sustain an injury when there's no damage to the Big Guy. Now get in there and head back before they start asking the wrong questions."

Dwayne Hunter gulped as he rejoined with the spirit of the deceased woman before climbing into the pilot's seat of the enormous machine. Gulping, he winced slightly as he moved the gears around in order to move the Big Guy back out to sea.

He only hoped that no one would make the connection.

TBC...


End file.
